East Sea Trip

Doing this blog now reminds me of why I stopped for a while.  Wow--what a time sucker!  Still, worth it.   After spending the entire 'winter break' working my butt off to get out three publications, we took a trip to the eastern seasboard just to pretend for a moment that we had a break as a family.  Dahin was off to Australia with her choir, so it was just the boys, Jack, the dogs, and me off for our little adventure.  Tashi  loves being in the country, even when he's tied up outside a little eatery on the way.

A gorgeous view of Mt. Seorak--we got plenty of this view as we were stuck behind a massive wreck for a while just outside of Sokcho, our seaside destination.

At the beach, the boys and Ginger discover their wild sides--Tashi, not so much because he is too insane and undisciplined to trust off leash in an open area like this.   So, he got the long leash treatment, but had fun anyway.

The beach was litered with some fireworks remains (something I will explain below), but the beach is so, so clean this time of year compared to the mess it becomes in the summer.

 Searching for, and finding, treasures on the beach (Ginger just ate hers, while the boys stored their's in their pockets). 

Ginger and Oliver and Ronan all got slammed with some waves at one point--which meant a quick trip to E-mart for some shoes and an extra pair of pants each for the boys.  Yeah, that was fun.  This beach side looks tame, but on the other side of the pier it was pure ocean and wild with some massive waves. 

 A bit of an irony about Sokcho is that the market in the center of the town is now famous for fried, gooey seasoned chicken.  Not, not fish; chicken.  People were literally lined up waiting to buys this stuff and since we had headed to the market specifically to buy this chicken, we waited in line, too.  Truth is, it was worth it.  The best chicken I have ever had; I swear.  We chose two flavors: fried and the fried with a soy/honey/pepper/peanut sauce on it.  So, so yummy.  That with sodas for Jack and the boys and a couple of beers for me (yes, that is Ronan opening one for me--it's his duty, according to Ronan) and some kimbap and ddeokbokki and it was the perfect vacation meal. 

 Oliver strikes a pose on the bed in our room with a semi-view (of the parking lot, but that's about as good as it gets in the Hyundai condos--not near the beach)

 Afterwards, we took the dogs back to the beach for some fireworks. I can't remember if this is something people do at the beach at night in the US, but they sure as heck do it here. It's like required. So, we purchased some sparklers and roman candles and the boys had a blast with fireworks on the beach. The dogs got some chicken that I had taken off bone (and removed the fried parts) so they didn't mind the sparkly noisemakers at all.  And, yes, we cleaned up after ourselves (unlike some other people).  Note the shiny silver soccer shoes--the cheapest option available at E-mart post ocean dunking.

The next morning we headed to McD's for breakfast (Korea has changed so much in recent years; this bkfst at McD's thing was non-existent just a few years ago) and then faced a 'typhoon' (according to Oliver) at the beach so the dogs could romp some more and we could get our last shot of beach before the drive home.  The wind was blowing so hard the boys (and  I) thought we were going to get picked up.  Snow/ice was literally pelting us as it was mixing with sand stirred up by the wind.  It was intense. 

We didn't last long on the beach.  We drove around Sockcho for a little while to look at the snow-covered scenery before deciding we should try another spot in Gangneung (near Sockcho) where coffee--that's right, coffee--has become the highlight. Apparently, Gangneung has now become famous for it's roasted coffee and there is even a coffee museum. We tried another windy beach before heading to a whole stip of independed roasters (and a few chains thrown in for competition) and chose one place for coffee and hot cocoa. It was good. They roast their coffee on-side, like most of the other places in Gangneung. But, I don't get how this little seaside town became the center of the coffee world in Korea. Just wierd.

Then, as the boys sang 'Jingle Bells' over and over again in the car, we braved the freeway, only to discover the road to Seoul had been blocked off due to heavy snow.  We hung around Gangneung for a little while longer and then after a while tried again, and again, and on the third try we discovered the freeway had been sort of cleared and we headed home.  The first bit was scary, honestly, as cars were slipping and sliding all over the place.  Apparently, chains are not required in this kind of weather.  They should be, especially for cars with front-wheel drive (right?  I always get that backward), but we kept going.  It took us 12 hours to get home since we had some clear spots, then snow, then traffic, etc along the way.  The dogs were so happy to get out of the car at the end and so were we.  Maybe next time we can stay a little longer.

Long Break, but Back

Publication dates and teaching duties meant I had to step away for a while to take care of things, but we are back with a new puppy and more adventures. Meet Ginger: our little Cavalier rescue from the market.  We found her being severely neglected and starving and took her home to live with us.  She's quite the spunky one and has claimed her rightful place in our home.  Here, she is silently protesting that I am, once again, working and not playing with her.

Dahin Sings ROK National Anthem

Dahin was chosen to sing the national anthem with three other children, a soprano, and a musical actor at the ceremonies in celebration of the 66th independence day here in Korea.  It was broadcast live on national television.  Here's a clip!

Tashi's Trick

Tashi's a master ball catcher--in fact, he can catch anything that flies toward or past his head.  With his disproportionately large mouth and head for his body size, it's pretty natural that he can do this well.  By the way, today Tashi turns 1.  Happy First Birthday Tashi!

Happy 7th Birthday Boys!

Oliver and Ronan's birthdays started with parties at school and their after-school program and gifts from their teachers.  Their first-grade teacher gave them socks--practical, and very much appreciated!

The boys have two friends who share birthdays at about the same time, and these boys are gearing up for a year in the United States.  So, we decided with their moms that we would do a joint birthday.  That way we could all have at least one birthday in the community lounge (not a cheap venture--not because of the rental fee, but because of the food and activities it takes to fill the place) and we could have a really big bash before the friends part ways.  After days of torrential downpours, floods, mudslides, and tragedies in and around Seoul, this was a welcome bright spot of the week and the weather totally cooperated!  It was clear beginning in the morning and the sun came out shortly after lunch.  Perfect!

The other two moms and I coordinated on decorations and food and activities.  I made cupcakes for the kids and one of the moms got an icecream cake from BR, and we had tons of fruit, juice, etc. ready. For lunch, we ordered from a local pizza place and also got some boneless chicken nuggets from a local chicken place.  One of the moms made ddeokbokki--her speciality and it was very, very good.

 Above, Dahin delivers the pizza and, below, the tables are all set and ready to go.  The kids were so excited about the great weather that it was hard to get them inside so that we could start the party.  But once they got settled in, they ate really well and seemed to have a great time.

 Above, the table is all set and, below, the boys in their natural habitat: trading Pokemon cards.

 Above, the birthday boys with a bit of attitude.  I think, like most kids at their own parties, were a bit overwhelmed and anxious to get things going.

 Above, the boys marvel at Chaneuk's ability to eat with gusto--I wish my boys would eat like that.

 The balloons were undoubtedly the big hit of the party.  The kids rushed to claim one a piece after the completion of the birthday song.

For a craft, we had them create spinning tops.  The kit included a cd the kids decorated and then screwed a metal piece in the middle and--voila!--the spinner was complete.  A lot of the kids got very creative with their art work.

Next, another activity as we waited for the pools to fill with water.  Dahin and her friend Enseo held up a string across which we strung onion ring snacks that the kids raced to eat.  Dahin and Eunseo, while waiting for the kids to get organized, argued about how much taller Dahin really is compared to Eunseo.  Good use of some downtime, girls.  The kids had a lot of fun racing to eat the snacks off the string.

Then, finally, it was pool time.  The kids went crazy at first.  Keep in mind that these kids have spent a good part of the past month inside.  They went nuts splashing each other and, below, staged an impromptu battle of the sexes.  Note that one girl uses a wise strategy as the other girls plot--or gossip--and the boys expend all their energy in the moment without much thinking.  So typical.

 The boys had so much fun.  It was not easy getting some good shots of them, especially with Mr. Attitude at large (guess who below).  He walked into the birthday party super grumpy--I think it's because we had asked people not to bring presents.  Still, you could tell he had a good time.

We set up a table by the baby pools so kids could keep snacking.  It was a good thing since we had an over-abundance of food.   The kids devoured chicken, pizza, fruit, and cupcakes, and then the icecream cake (which took a whole 5 minutes to disappear).  Nothing was wasted!

Some of my favorite moms, and one grandparent, living in faculty apartments.  In the foreground wearing pink is Chaneuk's grandmother--am really going to miss her when they move away next week.  Second from left is Yeonguk's mom--the party queen.  Seriously, she is an amazing party planner.  We planned Halloween together 2 years in a row.  I really wish she weren't heading to Chicago for a year.  She's a lot of fun.

Above, me and some of the moms and, below, Dayeon's mom pulls out the manicure kit and the party gets a bit girly during cleanup.  She calls it "spa time." It was really cute and a lot of fun.

Above, Tashi enjoys his granola snacky thingy from Bubbie and Grrandfather and, below, Ronan shows off his money that he already has plans for.

Dahin was so sweet and got her brothers presents.  She got Oliver some erasers that look like candy and cake, etc., and she got Ronan a little towel that he can wet and wrap around his arm or wearever when he gets hot.  They were very thoughtful gifts.

The boys spent most of the evening glued to their birthday present from me and Jack--a Nintendo DS.  Hey, they're expensive, so we got one they can share.  Oliver, above, plays back seat driver to Ronan's gaming.  Happy 7th birthday boys!  Cannot believe how fast time has flown.  Mommy and Apa are proud of how you all have grown and are glad we could spend the whole day celebrating together.  We love you!